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Solid Poop!


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I had this strange feeling, as I was prepping meal #2 for Blitz, that he was heading out the doggie door to eat some poop. So I followed him out, and sure enough, he was starting to snack. Historically, he's only gone for his own poop - I guess the raw poop of the girls doesn't smell/taste as good - so I was surprised to see that it was fairly fresh poop and very solid, and didn't appear to be a "raw" poop. A glimmer of hope ran through me. I followed him through the yard as he found a spot to make a fresh deposit, and yup! It was solid!

 

Woo-hoo! I was hoping that would happen now that he is completely off the budesonide - he had his last dose on Saturday. He is on metronidazole (Flagyl) and so that may be helping, but the dosage the specialist put him on is not what Dr. Patty considers to be therapeutic for loose stool.

 

We'll finish the metronidazole and see if he stays solid, and if he does, I am DONE trying to give him medication to "treat" his IBD. The specialist is convinced that because the biopsy results were "moderate IBD," he NEEDS to be on medication, whereas, to me, he's been asymptomatic (after that initial scare) whenever he hasn't been on medication, as we were switching from one to the next. In fact, I haven't told the specialist that I took him off the budesonide (yes, I tapered him off of it, and checked it with Dr. Patty first). It's very difficult to work with this specialist as I've yet to actually meet her face-to-face - we've only talked on the phone and have never had what I would consider to be a good conversation. :headwall I told her 4-5 times that Blitz was not doing well on the azathioprine and even though she agreed to stop the medication, I don't think she believed me. "I've treated thousands of dogs and they've all done well on the azathioprine." Yeah well, how many of those were greyhounds? Apparently very few, and it does appear that Blitz is more sensitive to medications than most. :riphair

 

Another side effect of the budesonide is UTI's, and Blitz was diagnosed with another one, and is back on Baytril for at least a month. Hopefully, since he's now off the budesonide, this will be the last one. However, we have no idea where he's picking up this bacteria (same critter as the last UTI). Huh. I just did a search on the type of bacteria that he has, and it says that it can be found on the teeth below the gumline. His teeth are nasty, but Dr. Patty wants him to be "stable" for a month or two before she does his dental. I may push her to do it sooner if I can find some other information to back me up. Maybe we can schedule it for a day that I'm off and I can be with him through the procedure and take him home ASAP and try to minimize his stress.

 

He is still on Hill's z/d ultra allergen free, much to his dismay. Consequently, we're having trouble getting him over 70 pounds though the mirtazapine as an appetite stimulant has been helping. I took him in yesterday to be weighed, and he was 69.6 pounds, though he had just pooped a lot of soft serve and had not yet eaten that day. He likes to have his breakfast sometime between noon and 2 pm, but then, he's not getting out of bed until sometime between 11 and noon. Just like his mama. :P

 

Well, I think I'm done musing. That's the Blitz update. Gotta get myself to bed so I can get up early and set up a lab for the kids tomorrow.

Deanna with galgo Willow, greyhound Finn, and DH Brian
Remembering Marcus (11/16/93 - 11/16/05), Tyler (2/3/01 - 11/6/06), Frazzle (7/2/94 - 7/23/07), Carrie (5/8/96 - 2/24/09), Blitz (3/28/97 - 6/10/11), Symbra (12/30/02 - 7/16/13), Scarlett (10/10/02 - 08/31/13), Wren (5/25/01 - 5/19/14),  Rooster (3/7/07 - 8/28/18), Q (2008 - 8/31/19), and Momma Mia (2002 - 12/9/19).

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Guest LindsaySF

Great news! :yay Isn't it exciting when they have firm poop? :rofl

 

Bummer on the specialist. :angry: It sounds like Blitz does better when he's off the meds, so just ignore her. :P If his IBD can be managed with diet that would be just awesome. :D

 

And Blitz stop eating poopy! :shakefinger IBD doggies aren't supposed to snack on strange stuff, even if it's usually 'their own'. Besides, it's gross! ;)

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I'm glad that Blitz had a normal BM but, I would be very wary of stopping the Budesonide. Like you. I don't like to give a medication unless absolutely necessary however, with IBD the gut can flair again and you'll be right back where you started--inflammed bowel and diarrhea. My boy has been taking Budesonide for over a year now and it truly been a life-saver for him. We did a small round of azathioprine in the beginning but, have since d/c it because he responded so well to the Budes. He has been weaned down to 3mgs every 3rd day and that seems to be okay so far. How is Blitz's bloodwork--did he ever have PLE (protein loss through the gut)? Maybe you should repeat blood work.

Also, I think the thing that is a little concerning is the fact that he's not gaining weight--usually they pork up when eating Z/D. Weight is a great diagnostic tool when dealing with IBD.

Feel free to PM me--we can share or woes of diarrhea :lol

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I'm glad that Blitz had a normal BM but, I would be very wary of stopping the Budesonide. Like you. I don't like to give a medication unless absolutely necessary however, with IBD the gut can flair again and you'll be right back where you started--inflammed bowel and diarrhea. My boy has been taking Budesonide for over a year now and it truly been a life-saver for him. We did a small round of azathioprine in the beginning but, have since d/c it because he responded so well to the Budes. He has been weaned down to 3mgs every 3rd day and that seems to be okay so far. How is Blitz's bloodwork--did he ever have PLE (protein loss through the gut)? Maybe you should repeat blood work.

Also, I think the thing that is a little concerning is the fact that he's not gaining weight--usually they pork up when eating Z/D. Weight is a great diagnostic tool when dealing with IBD.

Feel free to PM me--we can share or woes of diarrhea :lol

 

Actually, Blitz has the vomiting side of IBD - that's his manifestation. He didn't get loose stool until we started the budesonide (well, he had loose stool with the azathioprine, but normal stool for the three weeks he was on nothing while we switched his medication). No PLE that I was ever informed of.

 

He eats the z/d only because that's all we're giving him. He doesn't actually like it, and if it weren't for the mirtazapine (appetite stimulant), we'd be struggling to get him to eat 2 cups of kibble each day. As it is, if we get 4 cups into him, it was a great day.

 

Oh, and we haven't seen any vomiting since September when we initially hospitalized him.

Edited by dmswartzfager

Deanna with galgo Willow, greyhound Finn, and DH Brian
Remembering Marcus (11/16/93 - 11/16/05), Tyler (2/3/01 - 11/6/06), Frazzle (7/2/94 - 7/23/07), Carrie (5/8/96 - 2/24/09), Blitz (3/28/97 - 6/10/11), Symbra (12/30/02 - 7/16/13), Scarlett (10/10/02 - 08/31/13), Wren (5/25/01 - 5/19/14),  Rooster (3/7/07 - 8/28/18), Q (2008 - 8/31/19), and Momma Mia (2002 - 12/9/19).

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Guest lizmego

I'm coming in late here, as I don't know what other tests you've run on Blitz, but have you ever had a complete allergy test tun on him? The President of our local group has two allergy hounds and they have really bad IBD, but its in relation to when they ate food they were allergic to. She's found that they do not have the IBD flare-ups when they stay away from the foods they are allergic to, these pups are not on any meds associated with IBD, as far as I know. I know that one of the pups is eating Emu, Beaver, Bison and Quinoa (not all together). Her greyhound is allergic to most all ingredients found in commercial dog food - rices, wheat, corn, beef, chicken, lamb, etc etc.

 

Good luck!

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I'm coming in late here, as I don't know what other tests you've run on Blitz, but have you ever had a complete allergy test tun on him? The President of our local group has two allergy hounds and they have really bad IBD, but its in relation to when they ate food they were allergic to. She's found that they do not have the IBD flare-ups when they stay away from the foods they are allergic to, these pups are not on any meds associated with IBD, as far as I know. I know that one of the pups is eating Emu, Beaver, Bison and Quinoa (not all together). Her greyhound is allergic to most all ingredients found in commercial dog food - rices, wheat, corn, beef, chicken, lamb, etc etc.

 

Good luck!

 

No, we haven't had an allergy panel done. I'll have to see what HESKA can do - I know we use them for environmental allergens, but I'm not sure about food. That would certainly help me figure out what to try to switch him to once we're done with the z/d.

Deanna with galgo Willow, greyhound Finn, and DH Brian
Remembering Marcus (11/16/93 - 11/16/05), Tyler (2/3/01 - 11/6/06), Frazzle (7/2/94 - 7/23/07), Carrie (5/8/96 - 2/24/09), Blitz (3/28/97 - 6/10/11), Symbra (12/30/02 - 7/16/13), Scarlett (10/10/02 - 08/31/13), Wren (5/25/01 - 5/19/14),  Rooster (3/7/07 - 8/28/18), Q (2008 - 8/31/19), and Momma Mia (2002 - 12/9/19).

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Woohoo!! Solid poop.

 

Minnie is an IBD dog--two types, stem-to-stern. She tended to have a queasy stomach for her first few years, but rarely had soft stool, and didn't seem sick. Then during a horrific month, she had repeated rounds of HGE (both ends) before being diagnosed via scoping. The IBD is related in part to food allergies. We used a bunch of drugs, but the key was prednisone. We were able to wean her off it.

 

She's now controlled solely through diet. The selection and monitoring became much easier when we did the allergy testing. My vet uses the SPOT test from Spectrum Labs.

Standard Poodle Daisy (12/13), Grey Toodles (BL Toodles 7/09)
Missing Cora (RL Nevada 5/99-10/09), Piper (Cee Bar Easy 2/99-1/10), Tally (Thunder La La 9/99-3/10), Edie (Daring Reva 9/99-10/12), Dixie (Kiowa Secret Sue 11/01-1/13), Jessie (P's Real Time 11/98-3/13), token boy Graham (Zydeco Dancer 9/00-5/13), Cal (Back Already 12/99-11/13), Betsy (Back Kick Beth 11/98-12/13), Standard Poodles Minnie (1/99-1/14) + Perry (9/98-2/14), Annie (Do Marcia 9/03-10/14), Pink (Miss Pinky Baker 1/02-6/15), Poppy (Cmon Err Not 8/05-1/16), Kat (Jax Candy 5/05-5/17), Ivy (Jax Isis 10/07-7/21), Hildy (Braska Hildy 7/10-12/22), Opal (Jax Opal 7/08-4/23)

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Guest crazy4greys
He eats the z/d only because that's all we're giving him. He doesn't actually like it, and if it weren't for the mirtazapine (appetite stimulant), we'd be struggling to get him to eat 2 cups of kibble each day. As it is, if we get 4 cups into him, it was a great day.

 

Oh, and we haven't seen any vomiting since September when we initially hospitalized him.

 

 

When Blitz was with me, he was eating Precise Plus, had very firm poop. He loved that food and showed no effects of IBD while on that food. He was on it for 4 months before coming to you.

 

Have you tried him on that again?

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He eats the z/d only because that's all we're giving him. He doesn't actually like it, and if it weren't for the mirtazapine (appetite stimulant), we'd be struggling to get him to eat 2 cups of kibble each day. As it is, if we get 4 cups into him, it was a great day.

 

Oh, and we haven't seen any vomiting since September when we initially hospitalized him.

 

 

When Blitz was with me, he was eating Precise Plus, had very firm poop. He loved that food and showed no effects of IBD while on that food. He was on it for 4 months before coming to you.

 

Have you tried him on that again?

 

No. The thought has occurred to me, but I'm a little gun shy right now. At this point, I want to be sure his poop stays solid for a few weeks before I change another variable, so that if something changes, it's easier to point at the cause.

 

But believe me, as soon as I feel comfortable, I'm switching him. (Of course, as you recall, he was starting to not like the Precise Plus/canned Merrick because my girls were getting something "better.") Ah well, he wouldn't be one of my silly old men without driving me nuts in regards to food. Marcus and Frazzle both made me bonkers with their constantly changing appetites and preferences.

Deanna with galgo Willow, greyhound Finn, and DH Brian
Remembering Marcus (11/16/93 - 11/16/05), Tyler (2/3/01 - 11/6/06), Frazzle (7/2/94 - 7/23/07), Carrie (5/8/96 - 2/24/09), Blitz (3/28/97 - 6/10/11), Symbra (12/30/02 - 7/16/13), Scarlett (10/10/02 - 08/31/13), Wren (5/25/01 - 5/19/14),  Rooster (3/7/07 - 8/28/18), Q (2008 - 8/31/19), and Momma Mia (2002 - 12/9/19).

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Guest MomofSweetPotatoes

That's awesome news. Doug also has the vomitting manifestation of IBD. I remember when I first posted it, some folks were skeptical because of the term "Irritable Bowel" how can it there be vomiting? It took a specialist and some very long meds and food combos before we got on track. Thankfully Doug was 8 at the time. Not older like Blitz.

 

Keep us posted. I'm glad he's doing better.

:goodluck

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Guest crazy4greys
He eats the z/d only because that's all we're giving him. He doesn't actually like it, and if it weren't for the mirtazapine (appetite stimulant), we'd be struggling to get him to eat 2 cups of kibble each day. As it is, if we get 4 cups into him, it was a great day.

 

Oh, and we haven't seen any vomiting since September when we initially hospitalized him.

 

 

When Blitz was with me, he was eating Precise Plus, had very firm poop. He loved that food and showed no effects of IBD while on that food. He was on it for 4 months before coming to you.

 

Have you tried him on that again?

 

No. The thought has occurred to me, but I'm a little gun shy right now. At this point, I want to be sure his poop stays solid for a few weeks before I change another variable, so that if something changes, it's easier to point at the cause.

 

But believe me, as soon as I feel comfortable, I'm switching him. (Of course, as you recall, he was starting to not like the Precise Plus/canned Merrick because my girls were getting something "better.") Ah well, he wouldn't be one of my silly old men without driving me nuts in regards to food. Marcus and Frazzle both made me bonkers with their constantly changing appetites and preferences.

 

Yes, I remember the pics of him staring over the baby gate looking at their food :lol

 

He also liked canned EVO and when he first came to me to put on weight, he got 1 can of Ensure plus and didn't have problems with that either. I started out slow, knowing of his IBD, but he tolerated it and gained weight and gained muscle mass in his back thighs.

 

Just some things to consider. :)

 

I am glad he is feeling better!!

 

 

 

 

 

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Yay Blitz!!! Can we meet him now, can we, can we?!?!?!?

 

:lol:lol:lol

 

Yeah, we'll have to do something. Let me get through the next week or so with all the end-of-the-semester craziness (OMG the grading that I am so far behind on!!) and then we'll take a look at everyone's schedule and have a little shindig.

Deanna with galgo Willow, greyhound Finn, and DH Brian
Remembering Marcus (11/16/93 - 11/16/05), Tyler (2/3/01 - 11/6/06), Frazzle (7/2/94 - 7/23/07), Carrie (5/8/96 - 2/24/09), Blitz (3/28/97 - 6/10/11), Symbra (12/30/02 - 7/16/13), Scarlett (10/10/02 - 08/31/13), Wren (5/25/01 - 5/19/14),  Rooster (3/7/07 - 8/28/18), Q (2008 - 8/31/19), and Momma Mia (2002 - 12/9/19).

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